Save the date for Jazz It Up 2026!
Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 5 pm • BLOC15, Oakland
Tickets now on sale—will sell out! Can’t come? Buy raffle tickets!
Will you sponsor? Enjoy a great evening out and boost your business with 250 community leaders and elected officials—while fueling Building Futures’ street outreach, shelter, domestic violence, and housing programs! Sponsor benefits include limited tickets—act now to secure yours!
Will you join us? Join us for an unforgettable evening at Jazz It Up!, bringing together community leaders, supporters, and friends of Building Futures for a lively night of connection, celebration, and inspiration.
Your $75 ticket includes a sumptuous seated dinner, an open bar, and amazing live jazz. The evening features our annual raffle benefit with fantastic prizes—like a signed Warriors jersey and a week in a Hawaii beach house.
Sip wine from the open bar, mingle with like-minded people who care deeply about strengthening our community, and soak in the vibrant sounds of live jazz. Guests will enjoy delicious cuisine from Pinx Catering, whose culinary team transforms fresh, locally sourced ingredients into beautiful, flavor-forward dishes from their San Leandro based, family-owned business.
Enjoy live jazz from an incredible lineup, including master keyboardist Steve Carter, vocalist Misa Malone, guitarist Dennis Smith, and percussionist Alcide Marshall, plus special guests.
The evening is designed to be both joyful and meaningful—an opportunity to celebrate the successes we’ve achieved together while hearing powerful, firsthand stories from Building Futures’ frontline staff about the lives being changed every day.
Come ready to connect, be inspired, enjoy incredible food and music, and leave energized by what we can accomplish together.
Tickets are sure to sell out—only $75 and on sale now!
Location and parking: Bloc15 is at 252 2nd St. Oakland CA and is just across the Webster tube from Alameda. Near Jack London Square, accessible by BART, Amtrak and bus. If you choose to drive, a multi-level parking garage is located directly across from Bloc15 (max $15), as well as free street parking.
Accessibility: Bloc15 is wheelchair accessible for guests with disabilities.
Don’t miss this special opportunity to support our mission and get involved in making a difference in meaningful ways.
Questions? Email development@bfwc.org
Community Impact
100% of the net proceeds from this fundraising event supports Building Futures’ homeless, domestic violence and housing services in Alameda County. Building Futures with Women and Children is a 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization, Federal tax ID 94-3100741, (aka Cornerstone Community Development Corporation) and your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Building Futures’ mission is to build communities with underserved individuals and families, where they are safely and supportively housed, free from homelessness and domestic violence. Building Futures believes that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
To learn more, check out our Annual Impact Report.
Thank you to our early bird sponsors for your generous support!
Patron Sponsor
Anonymous
Impresario Sponsors
Garry Offenberg and Teri Schlesinger • Kaiser Permanente • Michael and Nancy Pretto • Sandy Schnieder • Sarah Varela • Sprinkler Fitters, U.A. Local 483
Band Leader Sponsors
Alameda Alliance for Health • AvalonBay Communities, Inc. • Bonnewit Development • City of Alameda • Community Realty and Investments • Elic Suazo, Realtor • Flores Optometry, Inc. • Gallagher Insurance • Grodin Financial and Insurance Services • Hon. Linda R. Bytof (Ret.) and Mark S. Renner • Lisa Lucheta and Richard Vaterlaus • Main Advantage Technology Services • Paul Carney and Giovanna Giuliani • Poppy Bank • Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc.
Jazz Beau Sponsors
Aisha Knowles and Winny Knowles • Alameda Health System • Best Price Furniture • Cahill Contractors • Carla Dartis and Steve Carter • Carrie Lutjens & Matt Thanabalan • City of San Leandro • Eden Housing • FAWSsit Portable Showers • Ghirardelli Chocolate Company • Greer Family Mortuary and Cremation Services • Juan & Evelyn González • Kiwanis Club of San Leandro • Lena Tam – Alameda County Supervisor – Third District • Maxim Schrogin and Karen Harber • Mendes Law, PC • MidPen Housing • Rob and Emily Rich • Sarah and Bob Bailey • Surlene G. Grant • Tom Lauderbach • UPS North Cal District Women’s Leadership Development • Visit Walnut Creek
Thank you to ALL who made this Jazz it Up our best yet.
WE DID IT! We raised $146,000!
Our sold out event was unforgettable! Our annual benefit event, Jazz it Up!, had a record number of ticket sales and brought together 270 community leaders and elected officials at Yoshi’s.
The atmosphere was electric as guests enjoyed captivating jazz performances, delectable food, and a vibrant sense of community. Special thanks to our generous sponsors and community leaders for their unwavering support of Building Futures. The overwhelming turnout and enthusiasm demonstrated that, now more than ever, we must come together and make a meaningful impact.
Liz Varela, Executive Director, presented an award to Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft for her leadership in ending homelessness, expanding housing, and supporting survivors of domestic violence, with words from Assemblymember Mia Bonta and Supervisor Lena Tam. It was a special moment of recognition.
Guests were treated to mesmerizing live jazz performances by master keyboardist Steve Carter, bass guitarist Dennis Smith, drummer Billy “Shoes” Johnson, and percussionist Marquinho Brasil, featuring vocalists Tranisha Gold and local legend Fred Ross. It was truly a night to remember!
This year’s event, much like previous ones, showcased the incredible power of community. We not only raised critical funds but also strengthened bonds within our network of supporters.
We did it! Thanks to our community’s generosity, we met our matching gift goal, raising over $20,000 in total! An anonymous donor matched dollar for dollar the first $10,000 raised, effectively doubling our impact. Our raffle was also a smashing success!
Funds raised are already being put to work, helping individuals and families build new lives after experiencing homelessness and domestic violence.
On May 2, 2024, our annual benefit event raised $135,000 to help individuals and families building new lives after homelessness and domestic violence.
It was a night to remember! Guests enjoyed the unforgettable jazz stylings of Darlene Coleman and the Steve Carter Trio. Nido’s provided delectable appetizers, an organic taco bar, and delicious cocktails. Special thanks to the event’s enchanting emcee, Board Member, Nicole Hankton.
In Nido’s covered outdoor oasis, more than 200 guests mingled with friends old and new. Six members of Building Futures’ leadership team shared how we do our work with love. One highlight was the success story of Sofia. The single mother and her four small children moved into stable housing after receiving tailored services while living at San Leandro Shelter.
The raffle was a huge success, raising over $9,000 for Building Futures’ shelter, street outreach, domestic violence, and housing programs!
Jazz it Up also included an opportunity to help Building Futures achieve a matching gift from a generous anonymous donor, who agreed to match all donations up to a total of $10,000. WE DID IT! Together, we raised $10,000, which means $20,000 to boost life changing services.
Thank you! The SOLD-OUT evening at Nido’s Backyard featured delectable food and drinks and live music. The event raised $135,000 and 250 community members gathered to celebrate Building Futures service to the community, and support life-changing programs and services.
Our community supporters met a $10,000 challenge match, enjoyed a celebratory evening of great jazz and food, and gathered in person for the first time in three years!
Treva Reid, Oakland City Councilmember District 7, spoke on the importance of housing.
Thank you to all who supported 2023 Jazz It Up!
Need some uplift and inspiration? Want to share our stories?
Watch the 2021 Jazz it Up! video any time, including our three-part “docu-series” that gives beautiful insight into our programs, clients, staff, and the overall heart of Building Futures, even during a pandemic.
POSTPONED DUE TO COVID
Special thanks to our 2020 Jazz It Up! lead sponsors, Michael & Nancy Pretto, Creekside Plaza Partners, Community Realty and Investments, the City of San Leandro and the City of Alameda at the Band Leader level and above!
We are grateful to our other sponsors at the Jazz Beau and Artiste levels include ACI-Alameda County Industries, Bonnewit Development, East Bay Community Foundation, Face Reality Acne Clinic, Flores Optometry Inc., Nat and Kera Binns, Evelyn and Juan Gonzalez, Gaye Eisenlord, Rob & Emily Rich, Waste Management of Alameda County, Inc., Bay Alarm, Bruce and Judy Jund, Carla Dartis & Steven Carter, Gayle Thomas & Mike Williams, Main Advantage Technology Services, Supervisor Wilma Chan, Teamsters Local Union #853, and Tom Lauderbach!
We postponed the May 2020 Gala, and focused our attention to keeping our community safe as we sheltered-in-place and did emergency response to the new COVID-19 pandemic.
Special thanks to our 2019 Jazz It Up! Sponsors
Patron
Williams Family
Impresarios
Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, Nancy & Michael Pretto, Sanjay Madan, and UPS Northern California District
Band Leaders
BRIDGE Housing, City of Alameda, City of San Leandro, Community Realty & Investments, VDay East Bay, and McDermott Costa Insurance Brokers
Jazz Beaus
Alameda County Firefighters L55, Alameda Health System, Nat & Kera Binns, Cahill Contractors, Paul Carney & Giovanna Giuliani, Supervisor Wilma Chan, Creekside Plaza Partners, Dark Heart Nursery, East Bay Community Foundation, Gaye Eisenlord, FH Dailey Chevrolet, Flores Optometry, Juan & Evelyn González, Maximus Real Estate Partners, MidPen Housing, Rob & Emily Rich, and Anonymous
Artistes
Deni Adaniya & Kevin Connolly, Alameda Alliance for Health, Hon. Pete Ballew, Best Price Furniture, Bonnewit Development, Carla Dartis & Steve Carter, East Bay Housing Organizations, Eden Health District, Glen Price Group, Habanas Cuban Bistro Alameda, Katherine Greenberg & Hon. Ed Hernandez, Bruce & Judy Jund, Tom Lauderbach, Main Advantage Technology Services, Poppy Bank, Resources for Community Development, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, System Innovation, Teamsters Local Union 853, Gayle Thomas & Mike Williams, and William Pettus Architect
